Shuttle feeder for embroidering machines



Sept. 26, 1961 Flled Aug 5, 1960 Sept. 26, 1961 K. LINDNER 3,001,492

SHUTTLE FEEDER FOR EMBROIDERING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

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3,001,492 SHUTTLE FEEDER FOR EMBRGIDERING MACHINES Karol Lindner, 9209 Hudson Blvd., North Bergen, NJ. Fiked Aug. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 47 ,694 6 Claims. (Cl. 112-186) This invention relates to shuttle feeders for embroidering machines and it is an improvement over my prior Patent No. 2,694,374, issued November 16, 1954.

As I set forth in my above patent, an embroidering machine comprises a large number of aligned shuttle boxes which rest on a shuttle box bar. Each shuttle box slidably supports a shuttle which is caused to reciprocate substantially vertically during the operation of the machine. Each shuttle contains a bobbin, the thread of which becomes exhausted as the embroidering operations continue. In yactual practice, instead of replacing the bobbin in the shuttle, a pre-loaded or fresh shuttle is substituted for the exhausted one. This is a time consuming and tedious operation since a conventional l yard machine has more than 550 shuttle boxes.

The vertical reciprocation of the shuttles brings them either upwardly in an exposed, accessible position or downwardly where they are completely recessed within the shuttle box. My prior device fed shuttles in large quantities to the shuttle boxes, being progressively applied along the length of the machine in doing so, but it was necessary that the shuttlesbe rst actuated to their downward position. The reason,V therefore, was that if the shuttles were in the upward position, the progressive application or positioning of the feeder device to the machine could not be accomplished because the exposed shuttles would impede the positioning of the feeder. When the shuttles were completely downward, there would be no such impediment and my prior device was effective under such circumstances.

' According to my invention, I have determined that considerable economy `can be realized if the machine could be re-loaded with the shuttles set in their upward position. In the first place, when the bobbins inthe shuttles are near exhaustion, the machine is stopped and the shuttles must be removed. In order to be removed they must be in an upward and exposed accessible position. lf it is now desired to re-load the machine, it would be time saving if the shuttles were allowed to remain in their However, as explained above, prior devices, including my own prior device, required the shuttles to be first returned to a downward position before reloading could begin.

What is an even more important advantage of the present device is that considerable time can be saved because the machine can be `loaded at the same time that exhausted shuttles are being removed. In other words, since the shuttles may be in an upward position in the use of my new device, one man may be removing the ex hausted shuttles while another man may be simultaneously feeding the machine with loaded shuttles, this advantage resulting because the shuttles may be in their upward position for both operations. This aspect is of great importance in saving time.

` The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the improved shuttle feeder;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view; FIGURE 3 is a side view in elevation; FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view as line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 5--5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view simitaken along the IAQZ Patented Sept. 26, 1961 2 lar to FIGURE 5 and illustrating the operation of the device;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of the end of the device where the finger lever is located;

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE l; 1

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE l0 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the location of ythe spring which maintains the device in its normal position;

FIGURE ll is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11--11 of FIGURE 4; land FIGURE l2 is` an elevational view of the end of the device opposite to the finger lever end.

The device comprises an elongated rectangular frame 10 which may be of wood or any other suitable material. Frame 10 is formed with a row of aligned openings 11 extending therethrough and the row running substantially the length of the frame except for two obstructed cutouts as will hereinafter be described. Each opening is inclined diagonally from the upper face to the lower face of the frame as illustrated in FIGURE 4. It will be recognized that when the position of the device is reversed as illustrated in FIGURE 5, the diagonal inclination of the openings becomes reversed. Such reversal is employed when feeding the opposite side of the machine. The angle of inclination is approximately l5 degrees from vertical. The openings are somewhat square in transverse cross-section, the width thereof being slightly more than Fys of an inch. The length of the openings from top to bottom of the frame is about l inch. The number of openings will depend upon the length of the device which obviously may be made variable depending upon the number of shuttles which can be conveniently handled at one time. Y l

In order to laterally enclose the openings 11, a bar 12 is secured as by screws 13a to the front side of frame 10, (as viewed in FIGURES l and 3). Bar 12 is of alu' minum or other strong material since it is but 1A" thick. The over-all thickness of frame 1t) with bar 12 is 1%" and its height, measured from the rear, is also 1%".

Means are provided to normally partially close or obstruct the bottom of openings 1I so as to support shuttles 23 therein as shown in FIGURE 4. Of course, all the openings 11 will accommodate shuttles therein. Such closing means comprise an elongated metal strip 13 which is slidably disposed within an elongated slot i4, said slot running along one side of the entire length of frame V10. Strip 13 is formed with side projections 115 which run parallel to each other for substantially the full length of strip 13 so as to take the appearance of a ladder but with only one side, the projections 1S being flat and having a free outer end.

The free outer ends of projections l' are slidably received in an elongated slot 16 formed in bar 12, slots 14 and 16 being parallel and serving as tracks wherein strip 13 with its projections 15 slide when actuated as will hereinafter be described.

In order to slidably actuate strip 13, a linger lever 17 is provided and pivoted at 1S to the frame 10. Finger lever 17 has a bottom end 19 which meets and drives small, integral side projection 20 of strip 13.

The normal position of strip 13 is controlled by coil spring 21 which is wholly laterally disposed, as are lever end 19 and projection 20, relative to the row of openings 11. Such lateral disposition of these elements is of importance since they do not impede the positioning of the device on the embroidery machine even when the shuttles are in their uppermost position. Spring Ztl is disposed in cut-out chamber 22. formed in frame 10 and has one terminal thereof connected to the frame as illustrated in FIGURE while the other terminal is connected Ito strip 13. Accordingly the strip 13 is urged to a normal opening obstructing position and` limited in ifs movement by pin 13b in the slot in which linger lever 17 operates.` As will be observed in FGURES 4 and 5, the normal position of strip 13` causes' the projections to act as a door by underlying and partially obstructing the bottom of each opening! 11 and thus preventing a shuttle 23` from dropping down.

A particularly important aspect of this device is the formation or both ends thereof. Thus', referring to the knger lever end, two cut-outs 24 and 25 are formed in the frame as sucessions to the openings 11. As shown in FIGURE 4, cut-outs 24 and 25 do not, howevenextend completely through the frame as do the'openings 11. Nevertheless they are substantially equi-spaced from each other and from the rst adjacent opening 11.

The functionl of cut-outs 24 and 25`is to receive the lastA two upwardly disposed newly fed shuttles in the ernbroidery machine so that all the openings 11 are properly aligned with the succeeding shuttle boxes of the machine. Thereafter the shuttles in the device may be accurately fed to the shuttle boxes as will hereinafter be described.

f course, since cut-outs 24 and 25', are closed at the top, freshly loaded shuttles may not` be deposited there- 'Vi 'to be fed -to the machine as in the case of 'openings 1 The opposite end of the device also is formed with a cut-out Ztv'forA ysubstantially the same reason. As illustrated in FIGURE 5, cut-out 26 -is inclined in the saine direction as openings 11 and is spaced from the last opening justas the openings are spaced from each other. Aocordingly, cut-out 26 receives the last fed shuttle 23a so that the openings 11 are properly aligned with the shuttle boxes which are to be loaded.

l Thus, in both positions of the device, for vrespectively feeding opposite sides of the machine, cut-outs are vprovided to accurately position the device for proper feedlng- Assuming now that the openings il. are completely ed with pre-loaded shuttles 23, andthe projections 15 being in their normal obstructing position and supporting the shuttles 23, it may now be desired to release the Shuttles such as when the machine fed. This is accomplished by pressing finger lever 17 inwardly so that it contacts and drives projection against the action of spring 21 and thus actuates strip 13 and all the side projections 15 to the position illustrated in FIGUR 6 Where the openings l1J. are completely unobstructed and the shuttles may fall through as illustrated. When all the shuttles 2.3 have fallen through, linger lever 17 may be released whereupon the spring 21 will restore strip 13 and projections 15 to their normal opening obstructing position.v i

The device is utilized as follows:

Assuming that the bobbins in the shuttles are near eX- haustion, the machine is stopped. Shuttle boxes `27 and 28 which are illustrated in broken lines in 5, form part of the embroidery machine. The shuttles 23, when the machine is stopped, should be in the upward position illustrated although -they may of course be actuated to such upward position thereafter. They are then removed from the machine. Meanwhile, the shuttle feeder of this invention will have been lled with shuttles provided with fresh bobbins. The feeder is then placed lengthwise adjacent the shuttlevboxes and linger lever is then actuated to release the lilled shuttles and drop them into the shuttle boxes where they will remain in the upward position of the shuttles illustrated in FIGURE 5.

The feeder is again iilled with shuttles. This time, the end cut-out 26 is placed against the last freshly filled shuttle 23a in the machine. The cut-out 26 is inclined and its rear wall 27 so disposed that the last fed shuttle 23g is spaced from the rst shuttle 23h of the new load the same distance that the shuttles are separated from 4 each other. Accordingly, the rst new shuttle 23b will feed directly into the succeeding shuttle box. It will be seen, therefore, that the new shuttles may be fed along the complete length ofthe machine since the cut-out 26 accurately positions the feeder for progressive positioning thereof.

When feeding the opposite side of the machine, the feeder is reversed siichas illustrated in FIGURE 4. It is in this position that the obstructedcut-outs 24 and 25 are utilized. Cut-outs 24 and 25 are shaped essentially like the openings 11 except that they do not penetrate through the top of frame '10 as illustrated in FIGURE 4. They cannot, therefore, accommodate fresh shuttles to be 'fed to the machine. 0n the other hand, they nt over the last two previously fed shuttles so that the remainder of the feeder is accurately positioned to feed the fresh shuttles tothe succeeding shuttle boxes.

the linger lever 1'7 is actuated and the strip 13 is retracted 'against the action of `coil spring 21 `so las to remove the obstructing' effect of projections '15 and permit the shutw tles 23 to drop into the shuttle boxes. Y

As mentioned above, since the spring 21 as well as the actuating portion of linger lever 17 are laterally disposed, they do not interfere with positioning the feeder succeesively or progressively along the machine. l

t will be recognized therefore, that since my feeder can operate while the shuttles are in an upward position, the machine can be loaded by one operator at the same time that another operator is removing the exhausted "shuttles from another portion of the machine.

There has been shown what is now considered a preferred embodiment of the invention but it is obvious that changes and omis-sions may be made without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is: i 1. A shuttle feeding device for embroidering machines comprising a rectangular frame formed with a series of aligned shuttle receiving openings therethrough, said openings'being inclined from the upper face tothe lower face of said frame, an elongated shuttle obstructing strip disposed adjacent to and under said openings and normally closing at least a portion of said openings from the-bottom, and actuatngmeans for shifting said strip to an opening unobstructing position whereby shuttles disposed Vin said openings may be released downwardly therefrom,

at least one end of said frame having a close topped eut out formed therein for receiving a shuttle which is in an upward position in said machine While succeeding shuttles may be fed to 'the machine by the device. l

l2. A shuttle feeding device according to claim 1 and wherein said cut-out is fon-ned on an end face'of said frame and is inclined so as to be parallel to said openings. 3. A shuttle feeding device forembroidering machines comprising a rectangular frame formed with a series of equi-spaced, aligned shuttle receiving openings therethrough, said openings being inclined from the upper face to the lower'face of said frame, projections normally underlying saidopenings so as to obstruct a shuttle from falling therethrough, means for shifting said projections from their underlying position to an unobstructing position, spring means for urging said projections to Ythei-r normal, obstructing position, and one endof said frame having a cut-out formed therein for receiving `a portion of a'shuttlealready in said machine while .succeeding shuttles may be fed vto the machine by the device, said cutfout being formed in the face of said end and being of an inclination parallel to the inclination of s aid openings, said openings `being equi-spaced and said cutout being adjacent to a last one of. said openings 'and being similarly spaced therevuth as' the openings are spaced from each other. A shuttle feedingdevice according to claim 3 and icluding at least one cut-out opening formed at the other end of said last-named frame, said cut-out opening being aligned with said series of openings Yand being closed at Again, at this time,

5 its top and open at its bottom to receive an upwardly disposed shnttle already in said machine while succeeding shuttles may be fed to the machine by the device.

5. A shuttle feeding device according to claim -4 and wherein said means for shifting said projections comprises a finger lever pivoted to said frame at said other end thereof, said nger lever being actuable against the action of said spring means, and said spring being Wholly laterally disposed relative to said aligned series of open` ings.

6. A shuttle feeding device for embroidering machines comprising a rectangular frame formed with a series of aligned shuttle receiving openings therethrough, said openings being inclined from the upper face to the lower face of said frame, an elongated shuttle obstructing strip disposed adjacent to and under said openings and normally closing at least a portion of said openings from the bottom, and actuating means for shifting said strip to an opening unobstructing position whereby shuttles disposed in said openings may be released downwardly therefrom, at least one end of said frame having a cut-out formed therein for receiving a shuttle which is in an upward position in said machine while succeeding shuttles may be fed to the machine by the device, said cut-out comprising an additional opening in said frame which is aligned with said series oi openings, said additional opening being closed at the top thereof whereby a shuttle may be received therein from below but may not be deposited therein from above to be fed to the machine.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lindner Sept. 8; 1959 

